Bad decisions could have lasting effect

February 1, 2012

EAST GREENWICH â Allowing the underaged to drink in your home could possibly land you behind bars, a state Superior Court judge warned residents last week.

The effects on the young people who drink could also last long after the buzz fades, Associate Justice Daniel Procaccini told the audience at a Swift Community Center forum addressing changes in the state's social host legislation.

âAbout 95 percent of crime is driven by alcohol, drugs or mental illness,â said Procaccini, who has adjudicated many cases involving underage defendants, most notably the Ryan Greenburg case, in which the Barrington teen was found guilty in the death of a friend following an alcohol-influenced boating accident.

For more on the story, check out the Feb. 2 edition of the East Greenwich Pendulum.